


Benevolence

by notheartbrouken



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Fiction, Fluff, Human Louis, King Harry, M/M, Narnia, They're too cute with each other, World War II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 08:50:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17321816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notheartbrouken/pseuds/notheartbrouken
Summary: Harry is the King of Narnia, Louis stumbles in on accident, and no one can quite believe it happened. No one really wants to tell Louis about the prophecies, either.





	Benevolence

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first piece I've ever written. Please leave any comments with suggestions on how to improve my writing. I want this story to be long and entertaining to read, so please, if you have any idea of how to make this more enjoyable to read, let me know!

_1939, London._

The streets of London had seemingly been painted overnight with the same white posters. As far as the eye could see, pasted to every available inch of stone wall and posted on each call box were the same printed photographs.

 

_Britons, Join your country’s army! God save the king._

Tensions with Germany were at an all-time high, with newspapers having declared there to be little time until the English would officially declare war across the channel. The country was desperate, so much so that all capable young men were to be corralled out of their homes and into long lines that stretched for blocks. Required to sign away their lives to the British army and bring death and destruction to that great threat just a short boat ride away.

 

Louis, described as a child as the gentlest of young boys, wished he could be anywhere but in line that day. He’d just turned twenty-two when the announcement from parliament came. Now, instead of attending university, Louis found himself crowded into London’s narrow alleys surrounded by hundreds of men, angry and hell-bent on enlisting into the army.

 

He clutched his tweed hat in his fists, trembling in fear, he dared not look at any of the other men. Instead, he kept his eyes on the cobblestone path, focusing too hard on the loose pebbles under his feet. He prayed for some kind of distraction to come and allow for him to run and hide, to escape the reality of his situation.

 

He listened intently to those around him as the other young boys bonded over their excitement at the opportunity to become _men._

 

Louis sighed in disgust and kicked at a pebble before him as the line moved ever so slowly forward. He watched the tiny, grey stone as it curved through the feet of the mass of men standing before him, before coming to an abrupt halt in front of a grand, brass door across the alleyway.

 

He gasped in surprise. For as many times as he had walked through the alley on his way to the docks for work, he had never once seen this door.

 

The door, despite the London sky appearing dark and unforgiving, seemed illuminated. Flecks of warm gold flickering as if the hidden sun had come out and was beaming down on just that spot alone. The design on the door was more beautiful and grand than Louis had ever seen. A lion in mid roar had been carved into the middle, its teeth appearing so sharp Louis presumed he’d slice his finger if he traced the edges. Above the lion lay a crest of some sort, a shield divided into four equal sections, each with its own wild animal. Another lion, a mouse, a badger, and a fox, carved with such intricacy that Louis could hardly believe he was seeing such a sight in a tawdry alleyway.

 

Louis could not describe the feeling that stirred within the pit of his stomach, but he knew that for some reason, the door was calling to him.

 

He wiped his hands on his pleated trousers, as they had become damp with sweat. The line before him began to move forward and he once again felt the pang of his desperation to get away from this alleyway, from the line he was in. He jumped, frightened as the man behind him began to speak loudly to the man in front of him, the show of fright moving him a few steps closer to the strange brass entryway.

 

Cautiously, Louis glanced around himself. It seemed as though the young man was invisible, not a soul in line even looked his way.

 

_Now is my chance,_ he thought, and in a quick, rushed motion, he crossed the alley and threw himself against the door. It creaked and groaned, fighting against his weight for a moment before giving a soft shudder and swinging open. Louis pushed the door closed behind him, leaning against it for a few moments in case someone tried to enter after him and force him back to his spot in line. However, he noticed almost immediately that the voices of men shouting could no longer be heard, not even if he strained his ears and held his breath. It seemed as if the men in the alleyway had ceased to exist.

 

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and slapped his hat to his thigh, reshaping the material after it had been nearly crushed by his grip just moments ago. He slid the cap onto his head and turned to face the room he’d burst into.

 

The only light in the room came from a small lantern placed on a wooden table a few yards from where he stood. Slowly, he made his way over, his footsteps echoing loudly no matter how softly he willed his feet to land on the wooden floor beneath him. He grabbed the handle of the lantern, lifting it off of the table as he held it out in front of him. He glanced back toward the door to the alley, eyes widening in disbelief when he saw it was no longer there. He ran his hand over the space in the wall, finding it rock solid and firm with no evidence that a door had ever been built.

 

He raised his hand to his forehead, _I must be feverish,_ he thought, _I have to be going mad,_ but of course the skin beneath his fingers was cool to the touch.

 

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and carried on walking around the perimeter of the room. The walls were painted a deep shade of blue and had begun chipping and peeling. Along the walls, Louis noticed several framed paintings, each more grand and beautiful than the next. He observed each carefully, captivated by the scenes of snow covered mountains and winding river gorges. By this time, he had walked around the entire room, and once again found himself facing the wall where the door _used to be_.

 

Only now, hanging in its place was a large framed portrait. The canvas was nearly as tall as he was, which was not exactly giant. It was covered in soft shades of gold and brown. Louis quickly realized the painting depicted the lion he’d seen carved into the brass door when he’d entered the room.

 

He lifted the lantern closer to the portrait, reaching with his other arm to trace the lines of the lion. The painting was soft, and Louis could have sworn he was stroking the fur of the fierce animal through the canvas instead of caressing oil paints.

 

As his fingers approached the mouth of the lion, he felt the materials under his fingers shift. The colors swirled and blended until the foreground of the portrait faded away and the lion _blinked_ at him. He shouted in fright, pulled his hand away and dropped the lantern. The flame went out almost immediately, leaving a shaking Louis standing in utter darkness.

 

In the seconds that followed, the painting began to illuminate. Glowing faintly at first, the light before him began to burn so brightly Louis had no choice but to clasp his trembling hands over his eyes. Just then, the light began to dim, and when Louis felt he was no longer in danger of being blinded he peered through the gaps between his fingers.

 

Stretched before him, as far as the eye could see, were mountains stretching so high into the sky they eclipsed the bright sun from view. Between them were vivid, golden valleys and crystal blue lakes reflecting the sunlight into the forests that surrounded them. Directly in front of him lay a sharp cut off. He stepped closer and peered over the edge of the cliff, estimating nearly four hundred yards between him and the ground below.

 

He took a few steps back from the cliff side and lowered himself onto the ground. He raised his hands in front of his face, noticing immediately how hard they were shaking. Louis lowered his arms and pinched the skin on the back of his hand tightly between his fingers, willing himself to wake up from this dream he’d somehow slipped into. When this didn’t work, he groaned in frustration and tears welled up in his eyes.

 

_Perfect,_ he thought, _you’ve gone and become so afraid that now you’re imagi-,_ his thoughts were cut off by the near rustling of leaves from the forest behind him.

 

“Who’s there?” Louis called out, hoping honestly for no reply, for that would only unsettle him further. He waited several seconds before asking a second time, “I said, who’s there?”

 

The rustling of the leaves continued until a bright orange fox immerged from the dense wood. The animal stared at Louis, sniffing the ground but keeping his eyes on the young man as he inched his way closer. Louis couldn’t help but notice that the way the fox was looking at him seemed rather… human, not animal, his eyes were soft, and calculating, as if he didn’t know what to make of the man sitting before him.

 

Louis didn’t know what made him do it, but he stuck his hand out to the animal, offering his fingers to sniff in hopes that the animal wouldn’t think of him as a threat. The fox was within petting distance now, but Louis dared not move a muscle. The fox continued closer to Louis, slowly, until, to the astonishment of the young boy, the fox said, “How did you get here?”

 

Louis stared at the animal in shock, convinced finally that he must’ve fallen into some psychotic episode in the alley and this world was all a figment of his crazed dreams. The fox moved even closer to Louis, sniffing his outstretched fingers.

 

“A human?” The fox said to himself, his eyes never leaving Louis. It seemed to Louis the fox was experiencing just as much shock by this situation as he was.

 

“I, I, wh-, what did you just say?” Louis stammered.

 

“How did you get here?” The fox said again. Louis could have sworn he’d seen him roll his eyes.

 

“I don’t know.” Louis mumbled, because _how did he get here?_ “It must’ve been some kind of mistake, I found a door and went inside and just, maybe I shouldn’t have, I’m sorry.” He breathed. “How can you talk?”

 

The fox laughed at him in such a way that made Louis feel as though he were an idiot, like the answer was obvious.

 

“Where have you been hiding that you’ve never encountered a speaking fox?” He asked Louis, peering at him inquisitively.

 

“I- I don’t know.” Louis responded, taken aback by the implications of the fox’s statement. “One minute I was in London and the next I’m talking to a fox.”

 

“London?” The fox asked. “I’ve never heard of that place. Who is your King?”

 

“Erm, we don’t have a King, not anymore.” Louis responded, only seeming to confuse the fox more. “If you don’t know where London is, can you tell me where I am at least?” Louis pleaded.

 

“You’re in Narnia,” answered the fox.

 

“I’m _where?_ ” said Louis. He was never the brightest pupil in his class but he knew enough to know that no where on Earth was there such a country called Narnia.

 

“It’s a wonderful place, you’re not to worry,” replied the fox. Louis had no answer, for none of this was making any sense to him. Still, he was convinced this was all an elaborate dream, and pleaded desperately with his mind to wake up.

 

“The sun is setting,” said the fox, motioning with his paws toward the sun which had nearly disappeared from the sky by this point. “Have you any place to stay?”

 

“Wh- no. No, I guess I don’t.” answered Louis.

 

“Well, get up. I shall take you to the palace of the King. He shall see to it that you are sheltered this evening,” said the fox.

 

“You have a king?” Louis asked, not expecting the wild laughter that came from the small fox in reply.

 

“Of course we have a King, King Harry. He’s wonderful, I promise. He will see to it that you are taken care of.”

 

Louis stayed silent but arose from his spot on the ground and brushed the soft dirt from his bum. He wondered if this King the fox spoke of was human like him, or some other strange animal that would speak to him. He followed the small animal closely through the dense wood for a few moments until they emerged onto a cobblestone path. Every few yards were intricate brass lamp posts, the flames inside bright as their flickering cast shadows upon the leaves of the trees that danced softly along with the breeze. They walked in silence, too, which surprised Louis as the fox seemed chatty and curious when he had found him near the cliff.

 

Louis let the quiet continue until he couldn’t stand it any longer, “How do you know the King?”

 

“We are friends,” answered the fox simply, looking back to Louis briefly before turning his attention again to the path ahead.

 

“Is your King friendly with all animals then?”

 

“Nearly all of us. I think you’d have a difficult time finding an animal in these woods who wouldn’t give their life for King Harry.”

 

Louis surveyed the forest around them as they walked. Besides the breeze rustling the leaves, no other sounds could be heard. He expected to see other animals, maybe squirrels running from tree to tree or birds weaving through the branches to arrive at their nests before nightfall, but there was no such activity.

 

“Where are all the animals?” Louis asked.

 

“Most have already settled in for the night, the forest is rather quiet by sunset.”

  

Louis nodded, as if he’d known that already. The sun had officially set on his first evening in Narnia. The cobblestone path was now lit warmly by the lamp posts and Louis couldn’t help but think this place was more beautiful than any he’d ever seen in England. There was something magical about the forest, every tree stretched so high into the sky Louis believed their branches may have actually had no end. And the green of the leaves was so rich, he wanted to pause and soak in the beauty of it all, for green had always been his favorite color.

 

As the final colors in the sky faded away, Louis could see more stars than he’d ever imagined twinkling above him. He noticed, too, that the forest floor was now alight with thousands of fireflies, making it difficult to tell where the forest ended and the sky began. 

 

He focused his attention back on his animal companion as the pair began to ascend a steep hill. He hadn’t noticed how long they’d been walking, but it had to be at least an hour before the lamp posts began to appear more ornate in their design, erected in gold instead of brass, with solid gold figurines of animals adoring the posts. If Louis squinted, he could just make out soft lights coming from what he assumed to be homes deep within the forest, built into what seemed to be the trunks of trees, but Louis must’ve been mistaken.

 

_No one lives like this,_ he thought, _is this some kind of fairytale?_  

 

“Do people live here?” He asked.

 

“Yes, Cair Paravel is just ahead.” The fox replied.

 

Just then, the two reached the peak of the hill. The sight below was enough to take Louis’s breath away. The palace was unlike anything he had ever seen. The castle was nestled comfortably into the hillside, made of smooth, cream colored stone that made Louis instantly want to run his fingertips across it. Louis counted five massive, round towers connected by low stone walls with ornate, stained glass windows scattered along in perfect, symmetrical patterns.

 

The cobblestone path led directly to a lowered draw bridge positioned over a small river that fed into the sea just beyond the palace. The moon was rising by now, breaking over the horizon. The waves reflected its light onto the castle walls making the stone sparkle. Louis had never seen such an inviting place, and was suddenly shaking with excitement to see inside.

 

As the pair approached the castle, Louis noticed two middle-aged _things_ near the draw bridge. Their torsos covered in thick iron armor, but his eyes lingered on their lower halves, as where their legs should have been, were the hairy legs of a deer. His footsteps faltered for a moment, he blinked rapidly and wiped at his eyes, for this was even more difficult to comprehend than the talking fox.

 

“Good evening, gentlemen,” the fox said as they passed.

 

“Good evening, Fox. Glad you’re back, we were beginning to worry.” One of the _deer men_ replied, the other nodding a hello to Louis.

 

Louis waited until the guards were out of earshot before whispering “What were those things?”

 

“Those would be fawns. No fawns in London?” the fox replied.

 

_Of course there are no bloody fawns in London,_ he thought. He chose to drop that subject and pick up another.

 

“You live here?” Louis asked the fox, surprised he hadn’t mentioned _that_ detail sooner.

 

“Yes. I told you, King Harry is good friends with animals.” Louis stayed close to the fox as they crossed the draw bridge, afraid he may fall into the river and be swept away.

 

“So all the animals of the forest live here?” asked Louis jokingly.

 

The fox, instead of answering, chuckled at Louis’s attempt at a joke as he led him further into the castle grounds. Beyond the draw bridge was a grand courtyard, lined with what appeared to be fruit trees, though Louis did not seem to recognize what was growing from them.

 

In the middle of the complex was a massive fountain, crowned figures carved out of marble and adorned with golden detailing were perched on top. Louis wondered if one of them might be King Harry.

 

Directly behind the fountain was the largest set of doors Louis had ever seen. He immediately recognized their design though, the brass was twinkling at him just as it had in the alleyway. The same roaring lion and crest had been etched into this entryway as well. The familiarity of the sight before him gave him the first sense of calm he’d experienced since arriving in Narnia.

 

“If you’ll wait here, I will go fetch the King,” said the fox. Louis nodded, not taking his eyes off the fountain. The marble figures mesmerized him. The King and Queen were old, but beautiful, their facial features soft despite being carved into hard stone. They were both wearing golden crowns, the Queen’s glittered with rubies and sapphires, while the King’s was solid gold and resembled thick vines woven together.

 

What attracted Louis’s attention most of all was the sword possessed by the king. His statue gripped the sword by the hilt, lifting it over his head in a show of triumph. Its hilt was adorned with emeralds and painted gold, along with the edges of the actual blade. Louis thought it looked sharp enough to be fatal despite being nothing more than a decoration.

 

Louis perched himself on the edge of the fountain, suddenly nervous at the idea of meeting King Harry. He pulled at his tweed vest which had become deeply creased during the journey to Cair Paravel, and rolled his sleeves halfway up his arms. He leaned over the water, using the slick surface as a mirror and fixing his fringe into a more presentable look and folded his hat into his back pocket. As he rolled his trouser legs up around his ankles, he heard footsteps approaching, and eventually the soft sound of voices, one of which he recognized as his animal companion from the evening.

 

Louis peered around the fountain, holding his breath as the ornate brass doors swung open, revealing first the fox followed by the most handsome man Louis had ever laid his eyes upon. His breath caught in his throat as he watched King Harry saunter into the courtyard, not yet noticing the boy on the fountain. Louis isn’t sure what he expected the King to look like, but he knew the real thing was nothing close to what his imagination could have fashioned. For some reason, he imagined King Harry would be older, much older. Perhaps just over middle-aged, maybe with a long grey beard and sunken facial features.

 

But instead of some average looking bloke, there sat Louis nearly choking on his own tongue over the _prettiest_ man in the world. He watched as King Harry threw his head back in laughter over something the fox had said. His dark brown, curly locks falling over his forehead in the softest way possible and his deep snicker bouncing off the walls of the courtyard. His skin was fair but held an incredible rich, warm tone, which Louis assumed came from living life next to the sea. His lips were a shade of pink Louis could only dream of. The only thoughts running through Louis’s head were how wonderful those lips would feel against his own, and that he had _dimples._

 

By now, King Harry and the fox were only a few paces away and Louis had suddenly become very aware of the fact that the King was no longer preoccupied with the fox. Instead he was looking straight at him with a rather unreadable look upon his face.

 

Louis tried willing his legs to work, to stand before the King was in front of him and not be left sitting on the man’s fountain in embarrassment, but he was frozen in place. He pried his eyes away from the King’s face and scanned the rest of his body, feeling utterly confused, because how could a man be perfect in every aspect?

 

Louis could tell from what he was wearing that he was broad shouldered. His burgundy cloak sat perfectly upon those shoulders, it clung to the material of his top and defined his thick biceps that hid beneath the fabric. His trousers were loose on his legs except for where they hugged the tops of his thighs and his full hips exquisitely, held in place by a thick leather belt with a large, golden buckle.

 

He was so lost in the King’s appearance that he hadn’t noticed the man had come to stop in front of him. He was awakened from his daydream by a sharp cough, his eyes snapping up to meet King Harry’s and, _oh my god,_ he thought, _as if I needed another reason to love the color green._

“Hello there, Traveler. Fox here has told me a little about you, welcome to Narnia,” he spoke, giving Louis a slight bow of the head. “Though he has failed to mention your name.” The King giggled, playfully kicking at the fox with his boot.

 

“I, I-, Louis. M’name is Louis,” He stuttered out, adding a quick, “your majesty,” hopping up from his perch and bowing at the waist. The King giggled again, the sound sending an immediate, bright pink flush to Louis’s cheeks which he knew was blazingly obvious as he straightened back up and met the King’s gaze once again.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Louis. Please come inside, I’d love to get to know more about the man staying in my castle.” The King held out his arm, waiting patiently for Louis to hook it with his own, which he did hesitantly.

 

As they walked across the courtyard, the King’s other hand clasped over Louis’s stroking it as if to ease the nervousness in Louis’s stomach. It didn’t work though, it only succeeded in filling his insides with thousands of tiny butterflies. Harry let go of his arm momentarily to swing open the doors to the palace, hooking his back with Louis’s after he’d ushered the fox inside and sealed the castle back behind them.

 

The interior of the castle was just as stunning and ornate as the outside. The entranceway was massive, larger than Louis’s entire house back in London. It was softly lit by candles all around the perimeter. A grand, central staircase lay ahead splitting halfway up and leading to two separate wings of the castle. Along the walls, were framed portraits of beautiful men and women whom Louis’s assumed to be the past Kings and Queens of Narnia.

 

The King guided him into the middle of the room, pausing only to ask, “are you hungry, Lou?” Louis smiled instinctively at the nickname and nodded at King Harry, his stomach growled instantly at the thought of a meal.

 

“I thought you might be.” Harry squeezed his arm and wisped him away down a hallway and into a large dining room. Louis was slightly taken aback at the amount of chairs tucked into the table that ran nearly the length of the entire room. If his estimate was anywhere near correct, he assumed the table had room for at least fifty people.

 

The only made up spot at the table was at the head. The King guided Louis to the chair, unhooking their arms and pulling the seat out, motioning for Louis to hop on.

 

“Are you sure?” Louis asked, he couldn’t believe the King would offer him his seat at the table without a single thought.

 

“Absolutely.” The King replied, smiling down at Louis so wide it nearly stopped his heart. He sat onto the chair and King Harry pushed him closer to the table, immediately pulling out the chair to the right of Louis and taking a seat.

 

Louis realized he had lost sight of the fox until he emerged from a doorway at the end of the dining room, a large badger wearing an apron following him closely, two steaming bowls of something in his hands. He placed them down in front of the men, bowed to the King, and exited the room the way he’d entered, the fox with him.

 

Louis peered down, examining closely what he’d just been served. The King must’ve noticed the look of apprehension spread across his face because he immediately started explaining the dish to Louis.

 

“It’s a traditional Narnian soup,” he said. “It’s made from the yorna; a vegetable I grow in the gardens out back. I know it smells a bit odd, but I promise it is very savory.” He picked up a spoonful of his own soup, blowing on it and slurping it down. Louis giggled as he gave an affirmative “Yum,” and rubbed his tummy for good measure.

 

“Thank you for dinner, Your Majesty,” said Louis, picking up his spoon and taking his first taste of the dish. The King was right. It was delicious. Louis couldn’t help but guzzle it down, feeling a tad embarrassed by how quickly he had done so, and even more embarrassed when the King called for the badger to fetch Louis another helping.

 

The King noticed the flush on Louis’s cheeks, and said immediately, “Don’t be embarrassed, please. You’ve come all the way from the Dancing Lawn, which I know is an exhausting trip by horse, let alone on foot. Your strength is important, so please, eat until you are full. It would all go to waste anyway.”

 

At this, Louis blushed harder, refusing to meet the gaze of the King until his cheeks began to cool down.

 

“And by the way, please don’t call me ‘Your Majesty,’” said the King, “Harry will do just fine.”

 

“You’re sure?” Louis asked, finishing his second bowl of soup and slumping back into his chair.

 

“Positive,” Harry smiled.

 

“Harry it is,” said Louis, secretly loving the way his name rolled off his tongue.

 

The two sat in silence for a moment before Harry arose from his chair. Just like he had done before, he walked behind Louis and scooted his chair back, offering his arm for support as Louis stood.

 

“Are you feeling tired?” Harry asked. “Because I would really love to hear about London, but if you are too tired to talk, I can find you a room and wait until morning.” He didn’t meet Louis’s gaze, instead he stared at the stone floor as they walked slowly down the hallway, Louis suspected Harry must’ve been nervous to ask.

 

“I suppose I could tell a story or two,” Louis replied, instantly happy that he had done so, the blinding smile Harry flashed at him was reward enough. Sleep could wait, even if Louis did feel an unpleasant heaviness behind his eyes.

 

Harry led Louis up the staircase, guiding him down the right hallway and into a small, quaint reading room. He let go of Louis’s hand and crossed the room to start a fire in the small grate against the wall. The logs ignited easily and when he was content with the size of the fire, he returned to Louis and sat down in the red velvet arm chair next to him.

 

Louis smiled, both at the flames sending heat into his limbs and at how cute Harry looked with his legs tucked under him and his chin resting on his hands, staring at Louis in pure fascination. He slipped his shoes off and laid them next to his chair, running his toes along the soft white rug on the floor.

 

“What is London like?” Harry asked.

 

“Erm, well, it’s a massive city. There are lots of tall buildings, triple the size of the towers on your castle.” Harry raised his eyebrows at this in a rather comical manner, almost as if he thought Louis was just joking with him. “No, I swear, they’re very tall, the tallest I’ve seen is probably thirty floors high.” Harry nodded, although Louis still didn’t think Harry was able to picture the skyscrapers that had risen in London over the past few years.

 

“The city is on a river, just like your castle. We even have a palace, the King still lives there, although he isn’t our _real_ King.”

 

“Your King isn’t your King?” Harry asked, his forehead crinkling in the middle as he furrowed his brows in confusion.

 

“Not anymore.” Louis said. He sat in silence for a moment as he pondered the best way to explain the failure of the monarchy in England and the installation of the parliament to a boy who had no clue what England even was.

 

“Was he a bad King?” Harry asked, his tone more serious than it had been all night. Louis could no longer read Harry’s expression, but he just seemed almost sad.

 

“Erm, no. Not necessarily. Lots of countries replaced their single leader with lots of leaders. It was mostly to divide the power among more people so that things were done for the good of many, instead of the good of one. Understand?” Harry nodded slowly, his smile slowing returning to his face.

 

“Do you have a family?” he asked.

 

“Of course, I live at home with my four sisters and my mum.” Louis said with a small smile, he missed his family already. He wondered if they were worried about him, what did they think when he didn’t come home?

 

“But no father?” Harry asked, noticing immediately when Louis’s face fell a little. “Oh, if something happened, please don’t feel like you have to tell me anything.”

 

“It’s okay.” Louis said, brushing off Harry’s comment. He always got a little sad when people mentioned his father, he was a good man whom Louis wished he’d had more time with. “My father died fifteen years ago, when I was young. Complications of a war injury.” Louis wiped at his eyes as they began to water, he didn’t want to cry in front of Harry.

 

“I’m sorry about your father,” Harry said, reaching over to pat Louis on the knee. “Is London still at war?”

 

Louis could hardly focus with Harry’s hand sending electric shocks up his thigh. He swallowed harshly before letting out, “Yes, but a different one now.”

 

Harry appeared a little shaken at that, his face had gone white and his features had fallen. “I am sorry, Lou, but London sounds like a terrible place.”

 

Louis chuckled lightly, “No wars in Narnia then?”

 

“Not for many, many centuries. My great, great, great grandfather was the last to call for war against invaders. I’d like to think the majority of Narnian’s live in peace.” He smiled, obviously proud of his people’s peaceful past.

 

“And do you have a family, Harry?” Now it was Louis with his chin perched on his hands, staring at Harry.

 

“I do. No father, just like you. He passed so long ago that I don’t have my own memories of him, just what I’ve learned from mum or the tutors over the years. My sister lives near the Western Wood, she’s older than me, and my mum’s with her. They prefer the countryside to dealing with the affairs that come with being royal, although they do like to visit when the weather is nice.”

 

“Do you like them? The affairs that come with being royal?”

 

“Most of the time. I’m lucky, my father and his father and so on made sure that those in our kingdom were taken care of. I grew up alongside the Narnian’s. They’re just as much family as Gemma and mum. I’d give my life before I let anything happen to them.” Harry was grinning, like, full on grinning from ear to ear and Louis felt so endeared by this man.

 

“You seem to be a great King, Harry. The fox said many great things about you on our way here.” This time Louis places his hand on Harry’s knee, giving a little squeeze so he knew that his words were genuine.

 

“Oh, Fox. He has to be nice, he lives here.” Harry laughed, Louis too, until his laugh turned into a yawn. Harry smiled fondly at him, arising from his chair and offering his hand to Louis. “Come on Lou, I think it’s time I let you sleep.”

 

Louis placed his hand in Harry’s and, _yep_ , there was that electricity again. He expected Harry to drop his hand once he’d stood, but Harry squeezed it and led him from the reading room and further down the hallway. There were doors everywhere, the curious side of Louis wanted to open each and explore, but he’d save that for another time.

 

Harry paused at the end of the hallway, opening the wooden door to his right. The room was rather dark until suddenly it wasn’t, Harry had pulled a box of matches from his trouser pocket and ignited a candle sitting on the dresser beside the door. Louis couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips as he took in the room before him. Of course, it was massive, the stone floor was mostly covered by the same white rug from the reading room. The walls were painted the most romantic shade of red and Louis could see the soft light from the courtyard spilling in through the two windows on the wall in front of him. The bed was grand, covered in thick, white duvets with dark brown posts that held the cream canopy above it.  On the wall to the right was the most intricate fireplace Louis had ever seen, the mantelpiece thick, oak wood and outlined with gold leaf.

 

“I’ll be right back with some clothes to sleep in. Would you like a fire?” Harry asked, stopping in the door frame and turning around to look at Louis.

 

“Oh, please.” Louis yawned, stretching his arms high above his head, wincing as his joints popped. Harry smiled, nodded, and disappeared down the hallway.

 

While Harry was gone, Louis unbuttoned his vest and laid it on the armchair nestled away in the corner. He unfastened his shirt as well, laying it atop the vest. He was just beginning to slide his trousers off his waist when Harry came bounding around the corner.

 

“Here, Lou, I hope these fi-” Harry’s voice faded out before he could finish his sentence. Louis spun around to face him, his face hot with embarrassment. However, he was secretly thrilled to see Harry standing there, slack jawed and looking the boy up and down with hungry eyes. When Harry realized he’d been looking at Louis for a little too long, he cleared his throat and looked anywhere in the room but at Louis, trying to shield the boy from his flaming red cheeks.

 

“Erm, I found these for you. I hope they fit, they’re mine. If you stay longer, I can get some made for you. I’m sorry for barging in, I’ll knock next time.” He said, scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck while he placed the small pile of clothes on top the bed.

 

“Thank you, Harry.” Louis wouldn’t meet his gaze either, instead he finished sliding his trousers off and quickly replaced them with the drawstring pants Harry had supplied him with. He pulled the string as tight as it allowed and tied a knot, but the trousers still sunk down on his hips. Harry smiled to himself at that, finding it cute that Louis was so small.

 

As Louis slipped on the sleeping shirt, the badger from the dining room came around the corner, arms full of firewood. Harry quickly grabbed a few logs from him and the two began the fire inside the hearth. The crackling of the fire filled the room, the badger disappearing around the corner again, leaving Harry and Louis alone in the bedroom.

 

“Goodnight, Louis.” Harry gave him a small bow of the head, just as he had done when they’d met in the courtyard.

 

“Goodnight, Harry.” Louis watched Harry slowly walk across the room. “Erm, Harry?” Louis called, just before Harry shut the door behind him.

 

“Yes, Lou?”

 

“Thank you for housing a stranger. And for being so kind.” Louis said softly as he climbed beneath the soft duvet and sank into the mattress, he could no longer fight his tired eyes and they closed the instant his head hit the pillow, but he was conscious long enough to hear Harry giggle out a “goodnight,” before he blew out the candle and shut the door softly behind him.

 

~.~.

 

When Louis came to in the morning, he buried his face deep in his pillow. He couldn’t believe how long he’d slept, or that his mind had come up with a whole magical land with unique creatures and characters all on its own, maybe he’d been slipped some kind of drug and had quite the trip. He felt a twinge of disappointment at the idea that Harry wasn’t real, but he hoped he’d dream of his face again.

 

He sighed and rolled over, his arm brushing against something _soft._ He froze, for his bedding at home was particularly rough, and, come to think of it, his pillow had never smelled like this. His eyes flew open at once, realizing all too quickly that his _dream_ had not been a dream at all.

 

Sunlight was spilling in from the windows on either side of the bed and Louis could see those strange fruit trees in the courtyard. He sighed and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He was happy he’d be seeing Harry again, but he desperately missed waking up to his sisters jumping on his bed and the smell of frying bacon wafting through the house.

 

He sat in bed for a few moments, unsure of what to do. Should he go find Harry? But he didn’t have to wonder for long before a soft knock came from the other side of his door.

 

“Come in.” He called, yawning and stretching his limbs under the blankets. The fire had gone out and the room had quite a chill.

 

Harry kicked the door open lightly, it swung slowly, hitting the wall with a satisfying little _bang._ He waltzed into the room, the fox and the badger in suit. Louis could smell the food before he saw it, Harry and the badger each hauled large steel trays of something that smelled absolutely delicious.

 

“I hope we didn’t wake you,” Harry said, placing the tray he was carrying on the dresser before grabbing the tray from the badger. “We’ve brought breakfast, figured you may be tired so we brought it to eat in bed.” He smiled down at Louis, motioning with his head for Louis to sit with his back against the headboard. Louis did so, and Harry placed the tray over his lap.

 

Harry thanked the badger and fox for their help, grabbing the tray off the dresser and flopping himself onto the foot of the bed facing Louis. Louis heard the fox and the badger leave, shutting the door on their way out, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Harry.

 

Somehow, in the morning light, his eyes were an even deeper green and Louis knew if he looked at them for too long he’d get hopelessly lost. Harry was wearing an indigo velvet robe over his sleeping clothes and his curls were disheveled, but still beautiful.

 

“I’m hoping that maybe breakfast is a little closer to what you eat back in London,” Harry smiled, leaning forward to lift the steel lid off Louis’s plate. The sight of food made his stomach growl, and there it was, _bacon,_ fried just the way Louis liked. His face must’ve said it all, because Harry laughed. “Is it close?”

 

“It’s _perfect._ ” Louis breathed out, a greasy strip of bacon already hanging from his mouth. That was not the only familiar sight on his plate, either. He wondered how Harry could’ve known he liked his eggs scrambled. There was also a little bowl of fruit, Louis recognized it from the trees outside. Cautiously, he popped one of the berries into his mouth, groaning in pleasure as the sweet juice coated his tongue. The fruit was delicious, Louis thought it tasted like the perfect mixture of banana and strawberry.

 

The pair ate in silence, both finishing their plates rather quickly. Harry got off the bed and carried both of their trays into the hallway, placing them on the floor and coming back to his spot on the bed.

 

“Did you sleep well, Lou?” He asked.

 

Louis nodded. “Thank you again for letting me sleep here, I haven’t had a night of rest like that in a long time.” Louis pulled the blanket up around his shoulders, he didn’t want to leave its warmth yet.

 

“Besides Gem and my mum, I’ve never had guests to entertain. I’m glad you’re here.” Harry said. “I’ll be right back; I should have some clothes around here somewhere that’ll fit you nicely.” He practically skipped out of the room and Louis would be lying if he said he wasn’t watching his bum as he did it.

 

He was gone for quite some time, but eventually he came bounding through the door, a large pile of clothes in his arms.

 

“Erm, I didn’t know what you’d like to wear, so I brought options.” He shrugged. He dumped the clothes on the foot of the bed and Louis crawled out of the blankets and across the mattress to sift through the pile.

 

He smiled at Harry’s picks, colorful trousers and wild patterned shirts. He settled for a loose fitting white shirt with blue sparrows embroidered around the collar and dark brown, pleated trousers. He held his outfit up to Harry, who smiled and ducked out of the room so Louis could change.

 

The clothes fit nicely. The top flowed rather flatteringly off Louis’s small shoulders and the brown trousers stretched nicely around his full thighs and bum. He rolled the bottoms up around his ankles, as he always did, and went to join Harry in the hallway.

 

He didn’t have to wonder what Harry thought about his outfit, as Harry’s smile was confirmation enough that Louis had chosen wisely.

 

“That shirt makes your eyes look lovely.” Harry blurted out, his whole face turning pink, but not as pink as Louis’s.

 

“Right. So what would you like to do today?” Harry asked as the pair walked down the hallway.

 

“I don’t suppose I know enough about Narnia to choose, do I?” Louis asked, because honestly, he couldn’t think of a single thing he wanted to do besides sit and stare at Harry all day, which he couldn’t exactly tell him about.

 

“That’s fair. Do you want an official tour of the castle? It’s nothing too extravagant.”

 

Louis nodded at Harry and hooked their arms together as soon as Harry offered his to Louis.

 

“There’s nothing special in the north wing, just bedrooms and the lot. By the way, if you ever need me, mine is across the hall from yours, okay? He squeezed Louis’s hand tight as they walked on. They passed the central staircase into the southern wing of the palace and unlike the north wing, most of the doors in this corridor were open.

 

Harry stopped in front of the first open door, ushering Louis in before him. “This is the library, if you ever want to know more about Narnia, speak to Badger. He’s read every volume in here.” Louis scanned the room, quite astonished by how many books there were. Floor to ceiling shelves lined all four walls, which several smaller cases in the middle of the room and they were all packed tight. He figured there must have been tens of thousands of books.

 

“That’s one well-read badger.” Louis whispered, causing Harry to let out a hideous cackle. Louis spun on his heels to face him, and couldn’t help but laugh as Harry stood there, eyes wide with his hands clasped over his mouth.

 

“I-, Don’t worry, I will never make that sound again.” Harry laughed. “Come on, there’s more to show you.”

 

Louis followed Harry out of the library and further down the hall. Harry motioned to the closed doors, first was Fox’s room, then Badger’s.

 

They eventually arrived at the last door of the hallway. Its knob was rather intricate compared to the rest in the castle, it had been molded into the same lion’s head Louis had seen the day before and this door was locked. Harry dug around in his pocket, fishing out the key and sliding it into the hole in the door.

 

“This room is my favorite, you’ll see why.” He said, turning the key in the lock and pushing the door open. Louis’s jaw dropped the second he stepped inside. The entire room was adorned in marble, on the floor and up the walls, except for where a thin purple carpet ran from the door to Harry’s tremendous throne. Straight ahead was the most incredible stained glass window Louis had ever seen. He couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across his face as he realized what scene the glass was depicting. A young Harry knelt before a throne, a woman placing a gold crown atop his unkempt curls.

 

Also made from marble, the great throne sat just under the window and was almost twice as tall as Louis. The edges were decorated with huge diamonds and other smaller gems, sparkling in the light and throwing rainbows against the stone walls. The seat of the throne was padded with a sizeable purple velvet cushion, with creamy pearls sown around the edges.

 

“This is incredible, Harry.” Louis murmured as the other boy joined him in the center of the room.

 

“It is, isn’t it. I used to really not like coming in here. Responsibility is a scary thing, especially on this scale.” He said. “But you get more comfortable in a role like this, believe it or not. Now, I come in here to think, everything seems easier to figure out in here.”

 

Louis nodded along, as if he understood what it was like to run an entire kingdom.

 

“Who is that with you in the glass?” Louis asked, gesturing to the window.

 

“My mum. She was a huge part of my coronation. I was so nervous to become King; I wouldn’t have kept it together that day without her.”

 

“You were so young.”

 

“I was crowned at sixteen.” Harry said, Louis gazing at him with wide eyes, knowing full well that he could never have taken on such a responsibility when he was sixteen.

 

“How old are you now?” Louis asked, realizing he hadn’t asked the King that question before.

 

Harry smiled over at him, “I’m twenty, Lou. And you?”

 

“M’twenty-two.”

 

Harry nodded, grabbing Louis by the hand and pulling him closer to the throne. “Would you like to try it out?” He asked.

 

“I-, is that allowed?” Louis asked.

 

Harry laughed, his eyes crinkling up at the corners, “If I say it is.” Harry replied.

 

Louis stood in front of the throne for a minute, glancing over at Harry to make sure he really was okay with what was happening. Of course, his companion was beaming back at him. As soon as his bum hit the cushion, Harry broke out in applause, shouting things like “Long live, King Louis!” and “Finally, a decent King!” Louis couldn’t help but laugh, Harry too, and they did so together for several moments.

 

When he could catch his breath, Louis arose from the chair and walked back into the center of the room. He motioned at Harry to take a seat, he wanted to see how he looked perched upon his rightful throne. Harry grinned, sauntering over to the throne and falling backwards into it, crossing his legs at the knee and staring straight at Louis.

 

“How do I look?” He asked, posing for Louis.

 

“Perfect.” Louis breathed, the flush on Harry’s cheeks too obvious to conceal.

 

“Alright, enough of that.” Harry lifted himself off the throne, grabbed Louis’s hand, leading him back to the hallway. He locked the door behind them, dropping the key back into his pocket. They walked together back to the central staircase, descending slowly into the entryway.

 

“I suppose now I can show you the back garden, it’s another favorite part of the castle for me.” Louis followed Harry to a set of glass French doors hidden beneath the staircase. Harry swung them open, standing aside to let Louis enter the garden first. Louis instantly felt at pace, surrounded by lush shades of green, the garden seemed to go on forever. The hedges were trimmed nicely and flowering bushes lined the castle walls. The garden itself was divided in two by a stone path, which Harry led Louis down slowly.

 

“I like to grow a lot of the food we eat inside the castle.” Harry said, pointing to several plots of dirt where freshly planted seeds were being watered by Badger. “Anything to take some of the burden off the Narnian’s. I don’t want them to ever feel like I’m expectant of them, they work hard enough without having to provide for me and my family.”

 

_Of course you do,_ Louis thought, _because you’re absolutely perfect._

“And that little space over there is for my mum. She loves spending time in the garden when she visits, so I made sure to create her own little oasis back here.” Louis could see the space Harry was referring to. Beautiful rose bushes were in full bloom around a small, wooden bench. The spot looked absolutely serene.

 

“And what is that?” Louis asked, pointing across the garden to an empty stone slab near the castle walls.

 

“That is where I train for combat.” Harry answered. “Like I said, it’s been many centuries since war broke out in Narnia, but a King must be prepared for some things, no matter if they’re likely to happen or not.”

 

“What do you train?” Louis asked, perplexed by the idea of such a kind soul in combat.

 

“Mostly sword fighting, that is the most noble of fighting methods, don’t you know. But sometimes, when I want to take a break from all that, I’ll practice archery.”

 

They continued on the path until they reached the eastern drawbridge. Just like the night before, several fawns dressed in their armor were keeping guard.

 

“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” Harry gave a small bow to each of the fawns. “How are things looking today?”

 

“Same as always, Sir. The sea is quiet.” One replied, eyeing Louis up and down.

 

“Wonderful. Could you lower the bridge? I’d like to show my Lou the beach.” He tightened his grip on Louis’s hand when he said _‘my Lou’_ and the butterflies from the night before came fluttering back in the pit of Louis’s stomach.

 

“Right away, Sir.” They replied, working together to crank down the bridge. Harry waved goodbye to them as the pair crossed. The stone path continued for a few paces before Louis’s toes were sinking into warm, white sand. Living in London, he’d never felt the sand between his toes, but he was happy to be experiencing it for the first time in Narnia with Harry. They trudged through the sand until the salty sea was close enough to lick at their feet before being whisked away.

 

Harry’s beach was rather small, but still more beautiful than Louis imagined sand and water could be. Off to the right of the beach were brilliant cliffs that appeared to be composed of the same stone out of which the castle was constructed.

 

“This is Gem’s favorite spot,” Harry said. “We used to sit here from dawn ‘til dusk seeing who could build the grandest sand castle. No one ever won, we’d get to jealous half way through and destroy each other’s work.”

 

Louis laughed, “That sounds like something my sisters and I would do. And I think I agree with Gemma, this is my favorite spot.” Louis waded into the water, its’ cool temperature stung Louis’s skin, but he didn’t mind.

 

He definitely didn’t hear Harry sneak up behind him, he let out a small scream as Harry cupped an incoming wave and splashed it at Louis. He spun around, pretending to be upset by the cool water now soaking through his shirt, making it transparent in the afternoon sun.

 

“Oh no, Louis, I was just playing around, I can get you a new shirt,” Harry pleaded, wanting desperately for the smile to return to his friends face. He almost missed the sudden evil glint in Louis’s eyes, but his reflexes were no match for Louis’s speed. Before Harry knew what was happening, he was laying on his bum in the sea with a very wet, very aggressive, very playful Louis on top of him. Louis splashed at Harry, his curls matted to his forehead as the sea water drenched him. He fought back, wrestling with Louis in the shallow water until both of them were laughing, soaking messes.

 

“You’re absolutely evil,” Harry said, giving Louis one final splash. Louis winked in reply, rising out of the sea and brushing the fine sand from his bum. Harry watched in fascination as Louis cleaned himself off, his shirt _was_ see-through by now and while that wasn’t his intention, he was sure glad he’d gotten him wet. The shirt clung to his fit, tight torso and Harry instinctively licked his lips. He lowered his eyes to Louis’s bum, which was already defined perfectly when the trousers were dry, but now, in their wet state, they clung to every curve Louis had.

 

He was snapped out of his daydream when Louis offered him his hand. He took it in his, rising from the water and brushing off his own bum. He noticed Louis’s arms were covered in goosebumps, and with the howling of the wind, soon his were as well.

 

“Come on then, Lou. Let’s go dry off.”

 

They walked back to the castle, arms linked like always. The fawns at the bridge gave the pair a rather strange look as they passed, “We fell,” explained Harry. The fawns nodded, although it was obvious they didn’t believe Harry one bit.

 

Harry let go of Louis’s hand when they were back in the entryway. “You can go change, I’ll be up in a minute.” Harry ran off leaving Louis alone for the first time all day. He walked up the staircase slowly, rubbing his arms up and down rapidly for warmth. He stood for a moment outside the bedroom door before deciding to turn left and popped open the door to Harry’s room. It was much bigger than the room Louis had slept in the night before, although fairly similar in style. He had the same cream-colored canopy bed and the same red paint. His room was a tad disorderly, open books strewn on nearly every surface. He traced the pages of one of the books on the dresser, it had been opened to a page with an old-timey drawing of two men on horses. He assumed one to be Harry. Although he was depicted to be older in the picture, the curls were unmistakable. He didn’t recognize the man next to him, but he felt a pang of jealousy seeing Harry next to another man.

 

Louis jumped as he heard someone coming up the stairs, running for the door and _just_ getting it latched as Harry rounded the corner to the hallway. He eyed Louis somewhat suspiciously, “You’re still wet,” he said cautiously, eyes moving from Louis to his bedroom door.

 

“I-, I got distracted.” Louis explained. “Thought I heard something.”

 

Harry nodded, deciding to let it slide, but Louis could tell the young King was slightly annoyed with him. He didn’t reach for Louis’s hand like he normally did and the space Harry kept between them was unusually large.

 

“You should change so you don’t get sick.” He said, turning the knob to Louis’s room and ushering him inside. He waiting until Louis closed the door behind him before disappearing into his own bedroom.

 

Louis let out a groan of frustration. He crossed the line, with a _King_ , no less. He cursed to himself under his breath, angry that he’d upset Harry.

 

He rummaged through the pile of clothes still at the end of the bed, finding a plain shirt nearly the same color as the walls and a pair of black trousers. Quickly, he stripped and redressed, fixing his fringe so that it would dry in a semi-flattering way. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared out the window. The sun was already low in the sky and Louis couldn’t believe that most of the day was gone.

 

He sat there for a few minutes until he heard Harry’s soft knock on the door, which was then unlatched and swung open immediately after.

 

“I could’ve been indecent.” Louis joked, watching Harry’s face closely and sighing in relief when a small smile played upon his lips. “I’m sorry, Harry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

“Don’t worry, Lou. Everything is fine.” He assured the boy, walking into the room and grabbing Louis’s hand. He rubbed his thumb along the back of Louis’s hand as he led him out of the room and down the hall.

 

“Would you like to see the rest of the castle before dinner?” He asked, looking over at his blue eyed friend. Louis nodded, happy to see Harry himself again.

 

Once again they descended the staircase, turning left and continuing down the same corridor with the dining room. Harry opened the first door on the right and led Louis in.

 

“This is our armory,” Harry said, grabbing a sword off a rack on the wall and pulling it from its sheath. “Do you know how to fight?” He asked, handing the weapon over to Louis.

 

Louis wrapped his fingers around the hilt. “I’ve never even held a sword before.” He said. It was much heavier in his hands than he thought it would be and he felt like now he understood why Harry had such seriously defined biceps. Swinging this thing around all day would be a serious workout.

 

“I could teach you one day, if you’d like. We could duel.” Harry said as Louis handed him back the weapon. Harry put slid it back inside the sheath.

 

“I think I’d like that. Thought, I’m sure I’ll be no match for you.”

 

“You’d be surprised.” Harry said, looking at Louis with such soft eyes before placing the sword back on the rack. “We keep bows in here as well. I’m absolute crap at archery, but if you ever want to learn, the fawns are excellent.”

 

They turned out of the armory and into the next room. Just like the throne room, this one was decorated fully in marble. Sparkling columns rose from the floor all the way up to the ceiling, which was made of glass. There were several ornate chandeliers hanging throughout the room and a massive piano tucked into the far right corner.

 

“This is the ballroom,” Harry said. “I love the ceiling in here, sometimes I like to carry my mattress down here to sleep. I like watching the stars.” He watched Louis’s face as the boy stared up at the glass, a small smile on his lips.

 

“I watched them on the walk here last night. You can’t see the stars in London, too much light in the city. I’d forgotten how much I liked stargazing until yesterday.” Harry grinned over at him.

 

“Let’s do it together one night,” he said, eyes sparkling at the idea. “Watch the stars, that is.”

 

Louis blushed and nodded, reaching for Harry’s hand and giving it a small squeeze.

 

“Do you use this room for things other than sleep?” Louis asked.

 

Harry looked at him as though he’d been waiting for him to ask that question. “Oh Lou, you should see the parties we throw here. Every year we have a harvest party, late autumn when the leaves are all changing. Everyone in the kingdom is invited. Badger and I cook up dishes with ingredients from the garden and some of the villagers bring their instruments to play music, it’s my favorite night of the year.”

 

Louis loved when Harry talked about his kingdom. He was made for this job, his eyes were always wide with excitement and genuine love, it was endearing to see.

 

Across the hall from the ballroom was the kitchen. The smallest room in the castle, Harry had informed him. Of course, it was still huge to Louis. There were three fire burning ovens against the walls with a large stone countertop running the length of the room in the center. The opposite wall was lined with shelves, more stacks of plates and glasses than Louis imaged Harry could ever need. Badger could be seen sifting through a large pantry in the corner, next to the door to the dining room.

 

“What’s for dinner tonight?” Harry called.

 

The badger stuck his head around the corner of the pantry, “Like you don’t know, you requested your favorite this morning, didn’t ya?”

 

“I only want the best for my Lou, Badger.” Harry joked, nudging Louis with his boot.

 

Badger smiled at Louis, ignoring Harry completely, he said, “You’ve really got him smitten, never seen him show off like this before.”

 

Harry let out a muted yelp in response and Louis didn’t have to look at him to know he was darker than a tomato. Louis laughed and tightened his grip on Harry’s arm. He wondered if Badger could see how smitten he was with Harry, too.

 

“Alright you too, shoo off now, unless you want to eat dinner past midnight.” Badger practically chased them out of the kitchen, throwing a look at Harry before shutting the door behind them.

 

“Erm, sorry about him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Harry said.

 

“Sure he doesn’t.” Louis smiled. ‘Where’s Fox?” he asked, realizing he hadn’t seen him around since breakfast.

 

“Oh who _knows._ ” Harry laughed, “I can never keep track of him. But he brought you here so I think I’ll start questioning his adventures a little less. What would you like to do until dinner?”

 

“Can we talk?” Louis asked, “I have so many questions about this place.” Harry nodded and lead him back to the same reading room as the night before. Louis noticed there were fresh logs in the fireplace and Harry set to lighting them right away. As the logs caught, the crackle and popping of the flames filled the room and Louis signed in delight as he sunk into his armchair, Harry swiftly joining him.

 

“So, what would you like to know, Lou?” Harry asked, reaching behind him and pulling a thick fur throw blanket off the back of his chair and over his lap, holding a corner out for Louis to drape it over his lap as well. The sun was setting over the sea again and Louis could see the sky was a brilliant shade of gold, the light and the flames making the room incredibly warm and romantic. Louis figured he could stay there like that forever.

 

“What are you, exactly?” Louis asked. Harry was the only _human_ looking thing he’d seen during his time here, and he couldn’t quite figure out what was going on.

 

“You mean, am I human?” Harry asked. Louis nodded, pulling the blanket up to his shoulders and tucking his legs under his bum. “I am, but I never call myself that. My people have been here for many generations. I consider myself fully Narnian.”

 

“If you’re human, how did you get here?”

 

“There’s a few stories about how my people showed up in Narnia, one that most believe to be… more true than the others, but it’s not a very magical tale. That story states that my ancestors were sea explorers. They sailed off from their island to map the sea, trying to find the end of the world, I suppose. One night, there was a _terrible_ storm. The waves were massive, taller than the ship. Those poor men must have been so scared. Obviously, they were blown way off course and there were so many holes in the ship, it was sinking faster than they could sail out of the storm. Only a couple of travelers survived, they washed up on a nearby beach in the morning. As they explored the island for food, one of them women found a narrow cave. She brought everyone with her to explore, and when they entered, they found this,” Harry explained, raising his arms and gesturing to the world outside. 

 

“Why didn’t they go back?” Louis asked.

 

Harry frowned slightly at Louis’ question. “Why would they want to?” He asked. “This place has everything you could ever want.”

 

“Oh, Harry.” Louis reached over and ran his palm across Harry’s knee to comfort him. “I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I just- They had homes and families, they didn’t want to return?”

 

“Legend says they didn’t know how. The cave they entered from has not been found again.” Louis couldn’t help but wonder what that meant for him, would be ever go home and see his mum and sisters again?

 

“Is that the story you believe?” Harry smiled warmly at Louis.

 

“No.” He answered simply, staring at the flames in the hearth for a few moments before continuing. “There’s a more magical tale that I like to believe in.”

 

“Can you tell it to me?” Harry didn’t answer immediately, so Louis quickly added, “Of course, you don’t have to, I just like when you tell me stories about Narnia.”

 

Harry cleared his throat before starting. “There are some similarities between this story and the one I’ve already told you. This legend states that my ancestors also entered through a cave, but instead of immerging onto the beach, they immerged from a cave within the Shuddering Wood. When they exited the cave, they followed the chirping of the birds until they reached a clearing. There, they found Aslan waiting for them.”

 

“Aslan?” Louis interrupted.

 

“Mmm,” Harry hummed, “The lion you keep seeing everywhere, that’s Aslan. He was, or I suppose _is_ , the real King of Narnia. Makes sense if you think about it, an animal ruling over the other animals. He was an incredibly fair ruler, wiser than any human could ever be. Before the humans got here, evil was everywhere. Narnia was as far from peace as it has ever been. The Giants and the Minotaurs were always difficult to manage, I suppose. And it wasn’t long until Aslan recruited the humans to fight alongside him in the war against that evil. Because of their fearlessness to fight for the Narnians, Aslan promised my ancestors and all generations to come the throne of Narnia for the seasons during which he is away.”

 

“And when is he away?”

 

Harry smiled, giving the older boy a wink, “’S just a story, Lou.”

 

“But you believe in it?” Louis asked, peering through his lashes at Harry.

 

“No one’s supposedly seen him in centuries, but I like to think he talks to me sometimes. There is more to being King than just following your own conscious and hoping for the best. Ever since I was crowned, I’ve felt his presence when making decisions. I like to think he advises me on what’s best for the kingdom.”

 

“A talking lion King would not be the craziest thing I’ve heard of during my time here.” Louis joked, Harry let out a small chuckle in response.

 

“Yes, I suppose that wouldn’t be much of a shock to you.”

 

“You said most believe the first story. Does that mean there more humans here than you and your family?” Louis asked.

 

“Oh, plenty. There are a few villages north of here with hundreds of families. Many more live on the other side of the Western Wood, near Gemma. We’ve spread out over Narnia throughout the years.”

 

“And you are King of them all?”

 

Harry smiled softly over at Louis. “No.” He answered, causing Louis to shoot him a quizzical look. “The last war fought in Narnia was over Kingship. Those who settled here divided up power and declared themselves Lords, each with their own region. There were seven in total, my ancestor being Lord Peter of the Shuddering Wood. As time went on, the Lords began to overstep on their duties and the people the Lords led were growing tired of it all. Eventually, war was declared among the seven. It was an incredibly terrible event, I tried not to read too much about it growing up. Lord Peter was the only Lord who hadn’t been corrupted. He was the only one to treat the Narnian’s as intelligent beings, not just wild animals, thus the Narnian’s chose to fight alongside him. When he won he chose not to execute the others, but he expelled the remaining Lords from the mainland. Their kingdoms exist, though very small, on islands out in the Great Eastern Ocean. Our kingdom has never been attacked and we don’t believe the other kingdoms could ever have enough support to overthrow us, but we still check in on them from time to time, to make sure everything is as it should be.”

 

“Do you think they’ll ever attack your kingdom?” Louis asked, reading the worry on Harry’s face.

 

“There’s a rather vague prophecy that says one day they’ll try. But we aren’t sure about when that day will come. It could be tomorrow or three hundred years from now. There’s no way to know and that is why we watch.”

 

“You have prophecies?” Louis asked, not sure why that shocked him since everything about Narnia thus far had been something out of a medieval fairytale.

 

“A few,” Harry said, he wouldn’t meet Louis’s gaze and the older boy could see a fresh blush on his cheeks thanks to the glow of the fire. “There’s even one I think is about you. And I’m actually not the only one. Your arrival has the woods talking.”

 

“Me?” Louis asked, astonished. “Can you tell me about it?”

 

Harry smiled warmly at him, “One day.” He said, giggling as Louis began to pout. “Don’t be sad, Lou. It’s a good prophecy.”

 

“Promise?” Louis asked. Harry could have sworn Louis’s blue eyes were glittering in the light of the flames. They reminded him of all those nights he spent watching the stars through the glass roof in the ballroom.

 

He smiled warmly at the older boy, “I promise.” He said, reaching over and giving his hand a squeeze. That seemed to please Louis, as he sunk back into the chair with the blanket tucked tightly under his chin. The pair sat silently for a while watching the flames dance in the hearth. Louis was nearly asleep when a faint horn was blown somewhere outside. He flinched at the noise, looking over to see Harry stretching and wiping sleep from his own eyes.

 

Harry stood and collected the blanket, laughing as Louis whined and tugged back on the fur. “Oh, come on, Lou. It’s time for dinner.”

 

Louis stretched his arms and legs out in front of him before offering his hand to Harry.

 

“You’re unbelievable,” he laughed, hauling the older boy out of the chair and onto his feet, once again whisking him away down the long corridor of the castle.

 

~.~.

 

When Louis laid in bed that night, he found himself unable to keep from smiling. He couldn’t quite believe how wonderful Harry’s life here seemed to be. He’d also become aware of how quickly his heart pounded in his chest when he thought of those rosy cheeks and soft brown curls. He fell asleep dreaming of the King, fantasizing about what absurd, storybook creatures Harry would introduce into his reality in the morning.


End file.
